Course Correction Chapter 20: Legends of the Unbidden Temple, a sonic the hedgehog fanfic

Sonic woke up feeling a feminine hand brush his chest, then turned to see Sally caressing him.

"I don't think we ever snuggled for that long before."

"Consider it a preview," Sally chuckled. "We're going to do a lot more than snuggle when we're on our wedding night."

"Sounds good to me, and don't worry that'll be one thing I'll want to take slow for once."

The two giggled. "I'm so happy, that completely took my mind off THEM," Sally finished with a hint of venom.

Sonic started grumbling. "Lousy, no good backstabbers, after everything we've done for 'em. We'll just take out Masquerade and Mister Perfect by ourselves. Between your brains and my speed, they won't stand a chance. Those guys had just been holding us back all these years."

"Still the wedding is going to be a headache, we'll need to find a new Maid of Honor, Best Man, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen…"

"We could go back to my original idea and just elope."

Sally began tracing her finger on Sonic's chest. "You know that might actually be best thing right now."

"Sonic!" he heard his father call. "You have company!"

"Who is it?!" Sonic yelled annoyed.

"It's me Sonic," said Knuckles. "I brought Julie and Mighty with me!"

"I'll be right there!" Sonic turned to Sally. "Hopefully, this shouldn't take long."

Sonic stepped out of his room. "I'm not in a good mood Knucklehead so this better…URK!"

Knuckles suddenly punched Sonic in the face.

"What are you doing?!" yelled Jules.

"Sonic!" Sally yelled.

"Good you're here too," Julie-su said. She then slapped the princess in the face.

"Ow!"

"Have you two completely lost your minds?!" yelled Jules.

"Bear with me for a moment," Knuckles turned back to Sonic and Sally. "The pain should help you both realize, Specter cast some sort of spell on us back in the Emerald Chamber of the Hidden Palace, Athair called it a curse. The small doubts and resentments you might have to anyone else with the curse are inflated to where you can't stand them but not enough to lash out physically so it can stay hidden. You must fight it, push that burning haze out of your mind and realize that the others aren't your enemies!"

Sonic and Sally growled but the gasped in realization, the red tint in their eyes vanished. "W-what have we done?! We practically tossed all our friends out and…!"

"None of us were behaving like ourselves," Knuckles turned to Julie-su with a blush. "After you guys left, I started blaming you for what happened to Mom, I'd still be blaming you if Julie hadn't slapped me like that."

"I was just surprised when you asked me to do it to you again," said Julie. "At the time I just thought that trying to come to grips with Lara-le's condition was making you into a jerk.

"In any case I need you two and the rest of your team. I found Specter's base, but we need your help to get there."

"What are you talking about?" asked Sally. "None of the wizards we caught knew where it was."

Knuckles took out a map and laid it on a table. "Specter probably wanted the Master Emerald so no one could use it to cancel out the Chaos Emeralds he has, that desire for control is going to be his undoing. I can sense the Master Emerald, even if it's broken into pieces, so I just took a map to focus my senses on where it was on Mobius and they led me here." Knuckles then pointed to a small island surrounded by others.

Sonic nodded. "Devil's Gulag, fitting the guy would use the former home for the worst scum on Mobius as his own. Not only that but after two big breakouts courtesy of Eggman followed by the volcanoes in the area starting to get even more volatile the place was abandoned so he just had to move in."

"Probably found it to be some sort of place of power," said Sally. "On top of a dormant volcano with clear access to the sky and surrounded by water you have all four elements right there. The boiling sea and the sheer cliffs that made it so hard to escape also make it difficult to attack."

"We tried to use a warp ring to get there only to be blocked by some kind of barrier," said Julie. "But since they tried to keep the location secret, I'm betting that an aerial approach isn't so easily guarded against."

"I know it might be a big ask but we need the Sky Patrol," said Knuckles. "While Julie doesn't want me going without her and Mighty wants to try getting Fiona back himself the rest of the Chaotix have to stay back and fix up the damage from the attack. Given what we'll be up against the three of us and your team are the best chance we got."

"But everyone's split!" said Sonic. "Rotor's way up north, Bunnie and Twan are either in the Baronies or Mercia, Nicole's with the Secret Freedom Fighters who've gone radio silent, we have no idea where Silver and Gold are, and Blaze and Marine are probably halfway to the Sol Islands by now! We don't have enough of a team to fly there much less fight."

"What about Tails and Cream?" said Mighty. "Somehow I doubt their parents would just let them go off somewhere without asking questions that would make them suspicious about why they got into a fight with everyone else."

Jules sighed. "Rosemary and Amadeus have been with Bernie and the rest of the council in an emergency meeting since Sally told us that Charlemagne and Specter were the same person, I actually doubt they were able to see Tails since he got back." Jules then clenched his fist. "Part of me is seriously thinking about having my brother roboticize me again just so I won't have to be reminded every time I look in a mirror of how that slimeball used me to get everyone to trust him!"

Julie clapped his shoulder. "Don't let him get to you, he used everyone. How about Cream's parents? From what I heard about Vanilla she'd probably could set anyone straight with a few choice gentle words."

"We'll stop by on our way to the Sky Patrol hangar," said Sally as she reached for the door. "Time's of the essence so…"

Sally opened the door only for Tails, Cream and Cheese to be standing on the other side looking a little disheveled. After a few seconds of silence everyone started speaking at once.

"I'm sorry that…"

"Wait you're not under…?!"

"We were just about to…!"

Knuckles whistled. "One at a time! Sal you first, go."

"Tails, Cream curse or not I never should have said any of those horrible things to you!"

"We know now you didn't mean any of it," said Tails. "But we shouldn't have gone off on you either."

"So, we're all cool now little buddy?" asked Sonic.

"We're cool, but how'd did you two snap out of it?"

"Knux and Julie knocked some sense into us," said Sonic. "You guys?"

Cream blushed furiously. "When we got back the Wild Bunch were throwing a party to celebrate when they first became a team. Tails and I thought it would be a great start to our solo adventuring careers, so we joined without telling anyone we left the Freedom Fighters. Little did we know Porker, Tekno and Ebony used a potion Ebony knew in everyone's drinks to get Mother and Father into 'the spirit of things'."

"It lowered everyone's inhibitions," Tails said flushed red himself. "It was a side of miss Vanilla I never saw before, and Cream never realized she had. Between the dancing and the music someone stepped on Cheese's foot, that got him to realize what happened and then he bit us to get us out of the spell. I forget that those sharp teeth Chao tend to hide aren't just for show."

"But even with that the potion didn't make us realize what happened until the morning," Cream's face now looked like a tomato. "While me and mother were in 'wild girl' mode she and father wanted to teach me something they thought I'd find useful and because of it… mother and I couldn't find our skirts for an hour after we woke up."

Jules gasped. "You mean…?!"

"NO!" Cream regained her composure. "I mean it was just the powderpuff, you know how boys and girls with stubby tails use them in a way like kissing."

"They must have really been out of it then," said Julie. "Despite your looks you're seven, I didn't learn about tail tickling until I was twelve!"

"I was ten myself," said Sonic. "I learned all about tail tickling, the powderpuff, the swish, the feather duster, the paintbrush…"

"I keep forgetting how big of a flirt you used to be," Sally groaned.

"We're wasting time!" shouted Mighty. "We need the Sky Patrol to get to Devil's Gulag and stop Specter!"

Sally nodded. "I'm sure once Father and the council are informed that we found the Order's hideout they'll give us the go ahead for this mission." She then turned to Cream. "I'm afraid that you'll have to stay behind for an equally important assignment, try to get into contact the Artic, Mercian and Secret Freedom Fighters as well as the Sol Islands. We need to tell them what happened to Nicole, Bunnie, Antione, Rotor, Blaze and Marine and how to get them to break the spell. If you know anyone who lives near Rabbot Manor in the Southern Baronies let them know in case Bunnie and Antione are still there."

"There are a few family friends from when Mother and I lived there I can reach," said Cream.

"So, what are we waiting for?" said Sonic. "Specter tricked us, trashed our homes, took our friends and kicked our butts. I say it's time we returned the favor."

"But what about Mr. Silver and Miss Gold?"

Sally sighed. "Until we know where they went, we'll just have to keep an eye out and try to reason with them if we cross paths. Still it would useful to know what they're doing right now."

Amy smiled as Baby Gold stuck her tongue out slightly while the later had her diaper changed. Feeling playful Amy did the same, her daughter pulled her tongue back in.

"Ah you're no fun."

However once Amy pulled her tongue in Baby Gold stuck hers out again.

"Oh, so THAT'S the game you're playing with mommy." Amy stuck her tongue out again causing her daughter to pull hers in again only to stick it out again when Amy pulled back.

"As much fun as you two are having Silver's awake," said Lucian as he picked the baby hedgehog out of the crib in the room set aside for the Elite to use as a nursery. "You know he doesn't like being apart from his sister and that he has a set of lungs on him."

Amy finished taping up the diaper. "You heard daddy Gold; I'll get the mobile spinning."

Lucian watched as the twins were put down and made cooing noises at each other. "Still it all feels a little unreal, I'm a dad."

At that moment crying came from another crib in the room.

"I got it," Geoffrey said as he picked up the lilac kitten. "Hershey's trying to catch up on sleep. Ok Mommy fed you just before putting you down, you don't seem to need a change right now…"

Baby Blaze stopped crying and started to gently coo.

"Looks like she just wanted to be held," said Amy.

Geoffrey looked at the kitten. "Supposedly we're supposed to be able to tell their cries apart for different things they want. You'd think if they figured that out, they'd put in down in a book or something."

"Well I think it's different for each kid," said Lucian. "They're still trying to know what to say themselves."

"I'm still kind of surprised though," said Amy. "I mean when Mobians of two different species have children it's usually twins with one from each parent species. You aren't disappointed that Blaze doesn't have a little skunk to play with?"

Geoffrey sighed. "I did imagine a little boy who'd carry on the St. John's name but seeing Blaze none of that matters to me, that and with single children a younger sibling usually is the species of the other parent so maybe if she gets a little brother or sister someday. Besides when she needs to have her diaper changed, I'm convinced there's still a bit of skunk in her." He began to tickle his daughter's stomach causing the kitten to laugh. "Yes, you're daddy's little stinker aren't you? Aren't you?"

"Ahem," Fiona stood in the doorway to the nursery. "I hate to interrupt your family bonding, but the Supreme Council needs to speak with both Lucian and Geoffrey about the final preparations for the Elemental War."

"Just the two of us?" asked Lucian.

"Hershey and Amy still need to recover from giving birth, but we're not expecting too much trouble."

"Go ahead," Amy said taking Baby Blaze. "I'll hold her for a little while and wake Hershey if I need help."

"Thank you," Geoffrey then turned to his daughter. "You be good for mommy and Mrs. Rose until I get back ok?"

"Ga." said the Kitten.

"Good girl."

As Amy cuddled the kitten Lucian leaned over the edge of the crib and looked at the twins. "Daddy has work to do but I promise I'll be back." He placed his fingers near the babies letting them grab his fingertips. "I never got to know my parents, but you will get to know me my little girl, my little boy."

"Boo."

"Aba."

He gave both a kiss then left with Geoffrey and Fiona.

After a short walk Fiona stopped them in front of a door. "Before you enter, I have something for you both." She took out two teardrop shaped pendants, one blue and one green, and gave them to the men. "Put them on now, they'll strengthen your powers in case you need them."

The two each put the pendants around their necks and their suddenly became purple.

"Finally," said Geoffrey. "A body of my own again."

"So, this is what it's like to have thumbs," said Lucian. "Now I know why everyone else makes a big deal about them."

"Yeah, yeah," Agunus grumbled from Fiona. "We each have our own bodies now. As much as we don't want to deal with each other or Naugus ever again first we have to secure our power by getting rid of Specter and to that end the mutant, Mammoth and the rest need to discuss their plan with us."

The possessed Skunk turned to Lucian. "Something big must be about to go down Suguna, we better follow along…for now."

"Very well Nusgau," said the possessed Tenrec.

The three came into the room where Witchcart kept her cauldron, she and the rest of the Supreme Council had gathered.

"Ah all my predecessors are now bothering someone else's head instead of my own," said Naugus. "But knowing you I bet you each already came up with a plan to get rid of me and the others, know I already did the same myself but seeing which of us is truly the superior will have to wait. Specter is about to kick off his elemental war."

"So, what's the plan?" asked Nusgau.

"Charlemagne had only awoken an hour ago," said Witchcart. "Specter's vessel won't survive the day so that means he'll have to bring his new vessel to the temple very soon. We just have to prevent the transfer."

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Suguna.

"Like this," said Regina as she stood next to a cupboard. She opened it up and Snively tumbled out covered in Ixis garb.

Snively gasped for air. "I thought I was going to suffocate in there! After being an inmate in this prison once I hope this is the last time I ever come here!"

"I sorry my Snively," said Regina. "But with all our acolytes abandoned in yesterday's mission this was the best way to make sure you were hidden. But are you wearing the tracking device?"

"Not exactly," Snively sighed rubbing his arm. "Turns out as part of my initial physical soon after boarding the Colossus Doctor Robotnick had slipped a few tracking nanites into a 'routine inoculation'. The device is in my bloodstream."

"All the better," said Mammoth. "I'll make sure the new mothers don't interfere, Robotnick should be here before or when the vessel is brought here. All the not-so-good doctor will have to do is…"

Up on the Colossus Viktor Robotnick grinned as he looked at a marker on a digital map with red and black eyes. "…follow the yellow blip road."

"All weapons are armed," Phage said from a nearby terminal. "Four neo swat battalions are standing by to attack. Red Knight and White Bishop are ready for deployment on your orders."

"Good, now that The Ascendancy has the territorial advantage it's time to tie up the loose end that is The Order of Ixis and as a bonus those Chaos Emeralds should ensure my army is powerful enough to crush any further opposition now that I have the means to use them to full effect."

"What about Snively?" asked Lilith. "Are you sure he'll be able to escape your bombardment of Devil's Gulag?"

"If he can't then he's of no further use to us, but I expect he'll worm his way out with Regina in tow. Specter and any who stand with him are finished, any in the coup who escape we'll deal with later."

Neo Metal Sonic stepped up. "The rest of the Neo Metal series is ready to command the battalions, but I question taking us off the front lines for this mission. I know this is to keep up our momentum in our conquest, but it sounds like you're taking this personally."

"Snively told me their entire plan, including that the Freedom Fighters getting their brains back in the Hot Lab was Specter's doing for his own goals. I don't like being made a chump, after today the world will know what happens to those who double cross Viktor Robotnick. If anyone is going to rule this world it's us."

Still why this much firepower?" asked Phage. "If we use all this there will be nothing left of the island."

"White Bishop and Red Knight acquired some…interesting intel," said Lilith. "It's classified but for now know that we're not taking any chances on this one, the only future we will permit to happen is one where the Robotnick Ascendancy rules this planet and beyond."

The Colossus continued to power its way to its destination and the inevitable showdown.

Bunnie looked on at the plantation house that had certainly seen better days. Weeds had taken over the gardens, there were several broken windows, the white paint had mostly peeled away and the grand columns up front had several noticeable cracks.

"Maybe it izn't as bad on the inside non?" said Antione.

Bunnie sighed. "I can't believe after everything I've been through, I'm afraid of an old house I barely remember. Still if Ma and Pa wanted me to have it, I guess there's no harm in takin' a look at least."

The couple came to the front double doors. Antione gently knocked only for the doors to fall ahead of him off their hinges making a big crash when they hit the floor. "I guess we can also add fix front door to zhe list."

Bunnie stepped into the main foyer and looked around. The chandelier, several tables and other pieces of furniture were covered in dust cloth which was covered in dust itself but underneath she could tell how beautiful and grandiose Rabbot Manor was in its heyday. "Was I really born here? This isn't a mansion, it's a palace."

The couple went through the ground floor room by room. Most were the same, peeling wallpaper, some broken floorboards and portraits what were covered in cloth. Most were of relatives Bunnie didn't know but near the comparatively intact ballroom was one that depicted a couple of rabbits that she vaguely recalled.

"It's them, Ma and Pa, before they turned on Uncle Beau and the Kingdom, before the overlanders turned on 'em and…" Bunnie shook her head. "Just give me a moment."

The buck rabbit was wearing a fine white suit and sported a distinguished white mustache and goatee. The doe wore a fancy pink dress and held a folding fan, her ears tied back in a manner like a ponytail. Both had a stern look to them.

"Pardon me but zhey don't seem very pleasant."

"From what I heard they weren't, maybe this was a mistake."

Antione lowered the cloth and began leading Bunnie out. "Well we can find someone else to appraise the place. You can sell it and don't have to worry about…"

Suddenly Bunnie stopped as they began to pass by a fancy but otherwise ordinary drawing room. She went to the edge of the door and knelt as low as she could as if trying to see something. Then a memory came rushing back to her, the mansion was back in its full glory as her parents were talking to an overlander woman in some fancy uniform.

"This information would let us bypass the Acorn forces undetected and capture the town before they can reinforce it. Afraid we'd kill your brother Jedidiah?"

"If he is willing to turn his back on generations of tradition then he is no brother of mine."

"Independence for the Baronies is all we're concerned about, along with what you promised."

"Rest assured Suzanne we have dealt with this a long…"

Suddenly the two rabbits turned to where Bunnie was.

"Springbean, what are you doing up?" Jedidiah asked his face and Suzanne's becoming much softer.

Bunnie almost answered until she saw a version of herself step forward, two to three years old wearing pink coverall pajamas with a bottom flap that had a hole for her tail and holding a blanket in one hand and a sippy cup in the other.

"Foursty, cawwot joose pawease."

Susanne knelt and picked the toddler up. "I'm sorry Springbean but if I give you carrot juice now, you'll be up all night. How about while your pa and the nice lady talk, I'll get you some water then you can go to bed and dream about havin' all the carrot juice you want."

"Ohtay Mama, nigh-nigh Papa, nigh-nigh noice wady."

Then the ghosts of the past faded away.

"Bunnie?" the coyote asked.

"I-I just remembered them, really remembered them. I was such a young'n when everything happened, I thought that all I would ever have was what other people would tell me." Bunnie stood up. "There's a room I gotta see."

Bunnie ran upstairs Antione close behind her. She came to another dusty room, a nursery with a small bed and several toys on the floor collecting dust. Antione came in as Bunnie looked at a tiny bed. "Is zhis?"

"My nursery," said Bunnie. "From what Derrick Fox told me I was sleepin' right here when he came back after the Battle of Winding Pass. He told me that Ma and Pa needed me to go with him to see Uncle Beau and that they would come for me later. He said it was close, if he was a few minutes late or he wasn't good as he was at being sneaky then I'd have been with Ma and Pa when the overlanders…"

"Zhis is too much," said Antione. "Let's go to Mercia, have someone else appraise the house."

Bunnie then grabbed Antione's hand. "No, it's fine. I'm not upset it's just I heard a lot about the family from Uncle Beau and Aunt Lulu but now I think I'm starting to understand what they meant. Just one more place before we get finished listing things off."

They only went a door down the hall and came into the master bedroom Bunnie went to a bookshelf and took two leather bound books off it. One looked heavy and contained a family tree the accounts of several distinguished looking rabbits. The other was smaller but still old looking, inside was a half-filled photo album. "As much as tech's been a big part of our lives it's hard to believe Mobians only began using things like photographs back when our parents were youngun's"

She started in middle where the pictures stopped suddenly and began working back. The in the most recent it was a lot like that night she remembered, her mother and father with her as a toddler, she worked backwards, she was wearing a diaper, first birthday, first steps, starting to crawl, wrapped in a bundle as her mother held her, then just her father and a mother with a very large belly, then both dressed for a wedding, another photo showing Beauregard and Lulumae at their wedding. Finally, at the first page it showed four rabbit kids, two boys and two girls one of which had her ears tied back like a ponytail, covered in nothing but a large coat of mud all laughing and smiling.

Bunnie began tearing up. "Ma and Aunt Lulu were best friends before they married into the family, Pa and Uncle Beau too." The tears seemed to bring out the red in Bunnie's eyes. "They'd still have been friends if weren't for Sally's ancestors."

"We're leaving all zhat behind," said Antione as his eyes became more red. "An ocean away, Mercia will be a good place for your family to start…"

"No," Bunnie wiped the tears away. "I've made up my mind about what to do with the house. I'm still coming with you, but I'll have someone fix everything up and bring Rabbot Manor back to its former glory. Because once this war is over, once we finally have peace, I want us to live here, I want our children to grow up here like generations of my family have! I'm a Rab-bot and proud of it, but I'm also a Rab-beaux and I won't let my family's legacy just die out!"

Antione hugged his wife. "It iz beautiful, it will be our castle, our family's castle."

Bunnie smiled but then looked back at the coyote slyly. "How about I give you a bit of a preview? You and me on this bed that that Uncle Beau told me gained a bit of a reputation in the family. I was conceived in it, so was Pa, my uncle, my grandpa and so many Rabbot boys and girls. The story goes the wood of the frame gives an odor that induces something ancestral in rabbits, that thing that made us prone to big families, that's why this bed has been called The Babymaker. I'm not in heat but we can still see if it puts me in the 'family mood'.

Antione responded by kissing her deeply. "Perhaps we can also see if it's not just rabbits it works on…"

Bunnie and Antione slipped under the covers and moved in for another kiss.

The next thing they knew both them and the bed were thrown against the wall of the room by a ball of hardened lava that burst out of the opposite wall.

"Ugh," Antione shook his head. "What happened? Wait, we vere under a spell. It made me act like cur to the others!"

Bunnie grunted as she began to rise out of the wrecked bed. "Me too sug, I feel awful about it. But what just happened?"

A roar came outside a gaping hole in the wall leading to the garden outside. Through the hole Bunnie saw a giant made of hardened lava next to a stone one holding a club, knight looking creature that seem to be made of wind and a large creature watery creature that bore a resemblance to Chaos 6.

"Merci…" Antione said. His legs buckled until he grabbed his sword.

Bunnie however gritted her teeth. "Get away…" She leapt out the hole and punched the lava titan with her robotic arm. "Get away from my house!"

Up on the Sky Patrol the radio crackled to life. "Sky Patrol come in!" King Max said from the other end. "Freedom City is under attack! Elemental creatures are pounding at our defenses and capturing anyone they subdue! Our troops can destroy them, but they just keep reforming! We're getting reports of attacks like this all over Mobius, they're targeting us, the United Federation, the Robotnick Ascendancy, everyone!"

Sally came next to Sonic and picked up the microphone on the console Bunnie usually manned. "Don't worry father, if this is the Specter's doing then we're moving to take these things out at the source. Try to hold out for as long as you can!"

"I understand my little bean, good luck to all of you."

"Looks like Masquerade is making his move," said Sonic. "Better step on it Tails."

Tails nodded from the helm. "Roger that, we should see Devil's Gulag soon. We're going to get back our friends, the essences, the emeralds, everything. As Uncle Derrick used to say, let's hit this henhouse."

On the viewport the spires of the prison rose from the mountain top, but now they were covered in black stone and gave a strange purple glow. An ominous cloud seemed to settle over the whole area.

Julie whistled from the engineering station. "The henhouse huh? Then it looks like it belongs to one big ugly, hen."

The radar panel beeped. "I'm picking up something," said Mighty. "There's a ship actually sailing into that boiling sea!"

"But that's suicide!" Knuckles yelled from tactical. "Who'd do something like that?!"

Tails began working a control panel to the side. "Hang on, our cameras should give us a visual on it."

The viewport changed to show a large gold and blue cross between a sail and paddleboat with a big gold eagle on the bow sprit in the middle of the storm-tossed boiling sea.

"The Ocean Tornado?!" said Tails. "But what are Blaze and Marine doing out here?"

Sally sat back down in the captain's chair. "Whatever it is I'm not sure that ship can run in water that hot for long and the winds around here are unpredictable. We have to tell Marine and Blaze what happened to us."

Sonic turned the microphone on. "Sky Patrol to Ocean Tornado please respond."

"Ocean Tornado come in," came Sonic's voice from the radio. "Blaze, Marine you are both…"

Silver used his telekinesis to turn the radio off. "Gold you're sure that the Order of Ixis is headquartered at this island?"

Gold nodded. "Specter actively resisted my attempts to read his mind in that chamber, but I did manage to pick out two words."

"Devil's Gulag," said Blaze. "It was lucky you spotted it when Marine went over the sea charts to find the fastest way back to the Sol Islands. Since there's a good chance the interloper is somehow connected to the Order going there is the best chance we have to stop the Mobius Imperium before it starts and at the same time we can make sure that Mammoth Mogul will be able to…" Blaze looked away sadly. "…kidnap our younger selves."

"I can't imagine what you're goin' through mates," Marine said from the ship's wheel. "It must be so much harder since you got a sense for who your parents were."

Silver blushed. "Makes one previous timeline where my mother was attracted to me thinking I was Sonic in the dark awkward. With the timeline changing because of my actions how we grew up had a lot of little details shifted around and Blaze mostly draws from her experiences from after she was bound to the Sol Dimension as her real childhood so we're not tempted to change it for our sakes. It's what our parents are going to go through that has us worried, having your child taken from you is a parent's worst nightmare, not only that if this mental block they all have is undone would they even see us in the same way? Gold was right it would have been a lot easier if they were just strangers to us."

"Well we never had an easy path," said Blaze. "Plus, there's a very strong chance the Interloper is the one responsible for that block, we'll just need…" Blaze looked out to the distance several flying shapes were coming towards them. "We've got company! Marine hard right rudder and arm the weapons!"

Up ahead bat like fire creatures, bees made of stone, bird headed tornados and water creatures that resembled a smaller Chaos 4 were approaching them.

Marine spun the wheel while flipping a red switch. "Right full rudder, arming weapons! Aye, aye ma'am!" The ship began turning to starboard, a gun turret rose from below the deck and a few cannons came from ports on the side. "Steady on course ma'am!"

"Very well. Wait for my signal, then fire and shift your rudder!"

"Wait for your signal, then fire and shift rudder. Aye, aye ma'am!"

"Gold can you man the turret?"

"Sure thing," said the Tenrec as she leapt into the gunner's seat.

Silver powered his psychokinesis. "I'll be ready to launch back as many projectiles as I can catch!"

Blaze ignited her flames. "Good, because here they come! Fire!"

As the elementals came in the Ocean Tornado let loose turret rounds cannon balls and a flamethrower that Blaze supercharged. The elementals were dissipated but not before the Ibis Takers hurled fire balls and the stone bees fired stingers, Silver telekinetically grabbed as many as he could, but the ship took a few hits.

Marine turned the Ocean Tornado into a hard left back towards their original heading. "Meet her then steady on course!"

Marine began slowing the turn. "Meeting her then steady on course. Aye, aye ma'am!"

As soon as the elementals reformed Silver threw the collected projectiles forcing them to reform again. "We'll get nowhere if we have to keep doing this!"

A few of the lava globs passed Silver's defenses, one of them destroyed the gun turret causing Gold to be thrown onto the deck.

"Oof!"

"Gold you ok?" asked Silver.

Gold's mark began glowing along with her eyes. "Sorry for the intrusion, but I have to get something off your minds!"

The other three clutched their heads for a moment as the red was dispelled from their eyes.

"We were under a spell?" said Blaze. "But how did…?"

"I used my mental healing power to break the curse. It was also how was able to adjust your minds to the different timelines and I can even use a person's mental energy to heal their own wounds."

Silver growled. "Our primary mission was to protect Sonic, even as angry as that spell made us how could just ignore that?!"

"We can beat ourselves up later!" said Marine. "Those wankers are still comin' for us!"

A few stone needles had torn through the paddlewheels allowing the boiling sea to slowly leak in.

Gold rushed to the radio. "Mayday, mayday! This is the Ocean Tornado to Sky Patrol. We are under attack and taking on water, request immediate assistance!"

"We copy Ocean Tornado," Sonic said from the radio. "We'll try to come for you…"

Up above the Sky Patrol was taking hits from the flying elementals. "…unfortunately, we have our hands full at the moment!"

Knuckles growled as he controlled the ship's weapons. "We just lost the Laser Blasters and the Particle Beam Cannon! The ammo for everything else isn't going to last that much longer!"

"Engine output down to seventy percent," said Julie. "If we're going to make a rescue attempt, we have to do it now."

"Tails try to bring us in low enough to pick them up," said Sally. "I know slowing down for a rescue is going to be very risky..."

"Then don't stop," Silver said over the radio. "I can levitate us all up with my psychokinesis, just concentrate on providing us cover fire."

"He's right," said Tails. "Just open the hangar and I'll try to get us as close as possible."

The Sky Patrol dove near the sinking Ocean Tornado just as Silver levitated everyone up. Both were becoming surrounded by elementals.

"That's it," Knuckles groaned. "The Anti-Air Missiles and the Volkan Cannon are spent. All we have left is the Sonic Power Cannon and I know shooting Sonic into that boiling soup is not an option."

"Can this get any worse?" Sally sighed.

An alarm came from the radar station.

"You just had to ask," moaned Sonic.

Mighty had his attention on his screen. "Something huge just appeared off our stern!"

The viewport shown a giant battleship appear out of thin air. Sally gritted her teeth. "The Colossus."

"They're opening fire, wait most of it is heading to the elementals!"

Outside the Colossus unloaded its guns and missiles while launching aviator neo swats.

"Silver and the others are in!" said Tails. "Taking evasive action!"

"Well we guessed Mr. Perfect didn't like being played by the Pick-a-Card Club," said Sonic. "What say we take advantage of him?"

Sally nodded. "Get to the Sonic Power Cannon, you're going to clear a path for us to get to that fortress."

"Somehow I doubt they'll just let us use their landing pad," said Knuckles.

"Which is why we're not going to use it. The Sonic Power Cannon is going to bust a hole into that fortress that we're going to fly the Sky Patrol into. Unfortunately, we'll have to settle for a crash landing."

The bridge shook violently.

"Port side engine's hit!" said Julie. "Output down to thirty percent! If we're going to do this, we better do it now!"

Sally hit the intercom button on her chair. "All hands, strap in!"

Sonic ran out of the bridge. "I'm in position!" he said from the speakers a half second later.

"Fire once we have a shot at the fortress Knuckles, Sonic should be able to plow through any enemies in his way. Tails, Julie, as soon as we fire head for Devil's Gulag at maximum possible speed. Burn out the engines if you have to, something tells me we were going to have to replace them anyway."

Knuckles kept both eyes on the targeting display. "Firing Sonic Power Cannon…NOW!"

Sonic was launched into a line of elementals before breaking a big hole into the Temple of Ixis.

"Gun it Tails!" Sally shouted. "All hands brace for impact!"

The Sky Patrol suddenly accelerated through the opening Sonic made and crashed into the hole in the temple.

From the bridge of the Colossus Robotnik watched as smoke billowed of the entrance Sonic made.

"Do you think they survived?" Asked Lilith.

Viktor gave a shark like grin as his eyes turned black. "If they didn't fine, otherwise they'll go down with Specter as we wipe that prison off the map."

"Diverting power from all non-essential systems," said Phage. "Shields holding at ninety three percent, initial squadron of aviator swats down to eight percent strength."

"Launch two more squadrons with the Neo Metal Series commanding them. Get Red Knight and White Bishop prepped for deployment and activate the control thrones."

"As you command doctor."

Two chairs rose in the middle of the bridge each with a needle like arm that looked ready to stab whoever sat in them right in the brain stem. Viktor and Lilith each sat down.

"We're ready to assume direct control of the battle," Lilith said. "Jack us in."

"Executing command."

The needle like arms thrust forward into ports in the back of their heads. The two would be tyrants' eyes closed but moved rapidly underneath as if they were dreaming.

Sally groaned as she sat back up, all around her panels sparked and wires dangled from the ceiling. "Is everybody in one piece?"

"I think so," said Knuckles.

"I just got word from Blaze," said Julie. "She and the others are ok. Sonic is with them now."

Sally sighed in relief. "Good, damage report."

"Believe me you don't want to know," said Mighty.

"I thought as much," said Tails. "I don't think the Tornado is going to be able to carry all of us back to the mainland."

"Sorry little bro," Sonic said as he Silver, Blaze, Marine and Gold came in. "But that little maneuver chucked it out of the hanger and into one of Robotnick's missiles." He turned to Silver. "I don't suppose once this is over you can return the favor by floating us back?"

Silver shook his head. "Even if I was flying solo that I'd tire out before getting back to safe land."

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it," said Sally. "As for the apologies for what we said under that spell they'll have to wait until after we save the world."

"Consider them already accepted them for my part," said Blaze before turning to Sonic. "You've been here before; can you point us to where the essences are likely to be?"

Sonic shook his head. "They were going to send me here when Drago framed me for Sally's supposed assassination, but I got loose before the ship arrived. I did get here to stop a takeover and escape attempt Eggman set in motion, but I didn't pay much attention to the layout."

"Looks like we'll have to scour this fortress top to bottom then," said Knuckles. "And we better hurry, the longer we take the more damage Specter's elementals will do to the rest of Mobius, plus we can't be sure Robotnick will be able to hold those things off forever and then the Order will concentrate all their security on us."

The team left the Sky Patrol and found themselves going through twisting corridors. Tails double checked his Miles Electric. "This is weird according to the map data I'm making we should have already looped back to the Sky Patrol with the turns we took."

Mighty took a good look around. "As someone who has been in a prison before they shouldn't be designed like this, it would not only confuse the prisoners but the guards too. It looks like Specter rearranged everything when he took over, finding Fiona and the others could be impossible."

"Not if I zip ahead and check every room myself," Sonic said with a thumbs up.

"No, we have to stick together," said Sally. "If we get separated, we might never find each other again."

After turning a corner, they found a metallic door in the wall where Gold stopped them. "Wait someone's being held prisoner here!"

They came in and the human girl in one of the cells turned to them. "Who's there!?"

"Princess Elise?!" Silver gasped.

The human looked confused. "You know me?"

Silver pulled the cell door from its hinges telekinetically. "It was… another timeline. All that matters now is that we're here to stop the Order of Ixis and rescue some friends."

"I'm still not sure how we're going to convince them to abandon the order though," said Julie.

"That may actually be the easy part," said Gold. "I didn't do this earlier because of events that had to play out, but now it should be safe for me to use my telepathy to…"

"No!" yelled Elise. "It's not safe at all! The reason I was captured was because I found out Specter's biggest secret, how he controls his followers, what he intends to do to the world once the elementals have spread far enough. There is a horrible truth about the origins of both you Mobians and Overlanders, one that triggers something in your DNA. Once you learn it, you'll not only be his slaves you'll want to be his slaves."

"Meaning if I used my mental healing on them, I'd just be exposing myself."

Sally raised her hand. "Wait, if that was how he controlled the wizards that attacked Angel Island then why did they forget it when he abandoned them?"

"When he did that it caused a contradiction between what they observed and what their genetics were telling them, as a defensive measure the very part of your genetic code that reacts to this knowledge wipes it clean. Since it is contextualized based on your memories to that point even the previous contradictions make sense if exposed again."

Sally looked like the cogs in her head were turning. "Wait, Amy and the others had already left before Specter turned on their recruits. If we tell them what he did they might react in the same way, then we just have to refuse to listen to Specter and we can put a stop to his plans once and for all!"

"Sounds good," said Sonic. "But how can we even touch Masquerade?"

"There was something about the fight you had with him before I noticed," said Blaze. "I don't think the second time you hit him was for show, he was focusing his attention on the portal he opened. Unless they are using a split image double, an Ixis Wizard can't use more than one spell at a time, so he has to lower his defenses to attack."

"Then if we wait for him to try to attack us, we can exploit that opening," said Knuckles. "Only question now is how to find our way through this mystic maze. With elementals attacking Angel Island again along with everywhere else we're up against the clock."

Julie pulled out her blaster. "Then let's go for the direct approach. I shoot and you punch until we find the bad guys."

Knuckles smiled. "I love that about you."

Knuckles punched a wall causing it to make several large cracks, Julie shot where Knuckles' blow landed causing the cracks to rapidly spread throughout the room. "Ok, maybe the direct approach wasn't the best idea," said the cyborg echidna.

The point of impact began to collapse seeming to fall into an empty void.

"That shouldn't be happening," said Marine.

Tails sighed. "Now you know why I never took up magic."

The walls, floor, bars, and all the room's occupants soon fell into the void as began to become separated from each other. Suddenly Sonic found himself landing on a stone floor with Knuckles and a bit of the rubble of the collapsed cells. The room they were in was circular with a large door one side, carved in the middle of the floor was a triangle that was pointing away from the door with a line across the bottom.

Sonic sighed. "Something tells me if we don't want to repeat what just happened, we should take the door out."

Knuckles started heading to the door when the triangle glowed blue, a moment later Lucian rose up from it as if he was raising out of a pool of water.

"So, it has finally come to this," said the Tenrec. "The door will not open as long as I oppose you."

"Lucian cut it out!" yelled Sonic. "You barely fought before, and Knuckles and I have taken on more than you can imagine. This is all pointless anyway, Specter…"

"It doesn't matter what you say Specter has done!" Lucian snapped as he glared back with violet eyes. "You're in the way of our conquest of Mobius, so I'm going to remove you!"

"So that's it, you're just a bad guy?" said Knuckles. "You're just working for Specter to grab power?"

"I don't think that's it," said Sonic. "There's something different about him, let's just knock him out and settle it later after we get back with everyone else."

"I don't think so," Lucian chuckled. "Even if by some chance you manage to beat me, my allies will have probably taken care of your friends."

Sally and Julie-su drew their weapons as Geoffrey St. John came up from an upward pointing triangle with a line across it carved into floor with a gust. "Such a shame, a pair of such lovely ladies have come all the way here just to die at my hand."

Julie took aim at the wizard. "Not going to happen Stripes."

Sally stood between them. "Geoffrey there's something important you have to know about…"

Geoffrey's violet eyes were filled with indifference. "Whatever you have to say it's not going to work, I'm not as naive as your family. I will not be denied the power I fought so long for."

"I can't believe the arrogance coming off this guy," said Julie. "After everything he's done are you sure you don't want me to just shoot him?"

"Only to stun, even when he was against us, he never indicated it was for his own gain so something's off here. Let's capture him and get back to the others, then he'll have now choice but to listen.

"Sorry, but they'll have met their own ends by then," said Geoffrey.

Mighty and Tails watched as Fiona rose from a blank downward pointing triangle. "Hello boys, welcome to the end of the line."

"Fiona you have to stop this!" said Mighty. "Specter is playing you…"

Fiona laughed before gazing at the two with violet eyes. "I don't care what Specter did and I don't need a couple of knights in shining armor to come save me, the only thing that has ever mattered to me was power."

"I don't believe you," said Tails. "You went off with Scourge for the fun of it and because you didn't trust anyone else, personal power was never part of it. It's got to be some other level of control the Order has over you isn't it?"

"Believe whatever you want, it soon won't make a difference."

"I don't care if it's a spell, or forbidden knowledge or whatever!" said Mighty. "I'm going to get you back to back to the good, wonderful person I know you really are!"

Tails took a fighting stance. "They probably laid a similar trap for the others; I hope they aren't in too much trouble."

Marine gave the door a hard push while Silver used his helped with his telekinesis.

"It's no use!" said Silver as he stopped short of breath. "It won't budge!"

Marine slumped down. "We tried everything, why didn't this room collapse like the last one?"

Gold looked at the upward pointing triangle in the center of the room. "Think this is some sort of clue?"

Blaze nodded. "It is the alchemical symbol of fire, maybe…" She used her flames on the mark to no effect. "Should have known it wouldn't have been that easy."

Elise looked around. "This room, it almost feels like an arena."

"So, we'll probably be fighting someone associated with fire," said Silver.

Marine gasped. "Blaze that means you have to fight your…" Marine stopped when she saw Blaze putting a finger on her lips while pointing at Elise. "…that person." The racoon the turned to Elise. "We're sorry princess, we have another secret mission going on here. I promise we'll explain everything soon but until then please can you not tell the others about this?"

Elise nodded.

"Silver," said Blaze. "When the time comes focus on keeping Elise and Gold safe, you can do that better than the rest of us and…well you know this is going to be something I have to do."

"I understand," said Silver. "Guess for now we just have to wait."

In the idol chamber most of the Supreme Council looked at the images Specter had shown of all four arenas. "They'll be waiting for a while," said Regina. "I don't think our Heralds of Fire and Chaos are in any shape for a fight."

"Which is why I am have an alternate plan for them," said Specter. "Such a shame Mammoth is missing this, but then when nature calls you mortals have to answer."

"I mean no disrespect my lord, but I do have doubts as to whether our heralds can defeat the intruders," said Witchcart.

"They don't need to win; the herald's task is to simply slow the Freedom Fighters down until the proper time. After all one is crucial to the Grand Design."

"As your new vessel?" asked Naugus. "We have noticed that Charlemagne's health has been getting steadily worse over the past few days."

Specter closed his eyes. "Very observant, yes this body's task is nearly complete. I must prepare the fire chamber, but first let make the other arenas a bit more interesting."

Specter dispelled the image of Silver and the others and focused the remaining images on the heralds before waving his hand over the images again.

"Mind Palace."

A wave of light shot out from Lucian's head blinding Sonic and Knuckles for a second. When the light faded, they found themselves on the seafloor. Sonic in a panic tried flutily to swim while holding his breath until his lungs forced him to gasp out.

"Uh?" Sonic looked at Knuckles surprised that he seemed to be just fine. "Hey, we can breathe down here!"

"Must another one Specter's tricks," said the Echidna. "Submerged like this we're completely at Lucian's mercy!"

"No," Lucian said as his voice took icy tone. "You aren't because I'm not going to have any."

They turned to find the water and seafloor around Lucian was freezing yet he slowly walked forward as if the ice no more solid than air, freezing the water as he moved.

"Even with our children Amy will never be able to move on from the sorrow and pain you gave her, not until you're gone."

As Sonic and Knuckles looked on it seemed like there was some kind of shape behind the Tenrec, as shape that had pinchers open as if to take their heads.

Mighty and Tails opened their eyes, around them was what looked like a long-abandoned prison but clearly not like Devil's Gulag.

"Where are we?" asked Tails. "And where's Fiona for that matter?"

Mighty clenched his fist. "I think Fiona's still close because I know where we are, this is the third time I've been here. It was one of Robotnick's bases where I was held prisoner as a kid, the one where I first meet Ray and Fiona, the one me and Sonic failed to save them from, where Ray got frozen in time in a pocket dimension for five years, the one Fiona spent two years trying to escape…"

Tails flattened his ears. "Then this is where Fay was born. But why would Fiona bring us here, I can't imagine a time in her life where she didn't hate this place."

"Doesn't matter! All that matters now is that I can finally do what I failed to all those years ago!"

They heard sobbing coming from down a hallway.

"Ok, then let's go," said Tails. "But carefully, who knows what she has up her sleeve."

As they went off into the base a horned figure laughed in the shadows.

When the light faded Sally and Julie-Su were standing on top of a tower under a stormy sky.

"Changing the venue is not going help you beat us," said Julie. "This was over the moment you picked the side I was against."

"It didn't matter what side Geoffrey ultimately chose," said a figure that was materializing near the edge of the rampart. "It wouldn't change what he always was…"

Everyone turned to see a skunk with a flattop hair cut standing with his arms crossed.

Geoffrey gasped. "Father?"

Sally stood wide eyed. "How is this possible?"

To Sally and Julie there was a strange shadow near the elder skunk with leathery wings.

Ian smirked. "…a disappointment."

The supreme council looked on at what Specter did to the arenas before he turned to Naugus. "Come on now Naugus did you really think you could hide that you possessed three of Ixis' heralds with aspects of your own psyche?"

The mutant's flight, fight or freeze response was stuck firmly in freeze.

"But to be here as well you must have used phylacteries to do the job, I wonder where you got those?" He now turned to the crone. "Don't you Witchcart?"

Witchcart backed away slowly. "I-it was just to make sure that the heralds wouldn't turn against you my lord! I swear there was nothing else to it!"

Specter suddenly burst out laughing. "If any betrayal you planned was detrimental to the Grand Design I never would have recruited any of you in the first place! I am not angry, because in a very short time you will see that any plot to seize power from me is completely unnecessary. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get set up the challenge of the fire arena for our guests."

Once specter left the room Regina touched her pointer and forefinger to her forehead. "Mammoth, Specter's on to our sleeper agents so we have to go with the backup plan. He intends to possess one of the Freedom Fighters attacking the temple, where are you?"

Mammoth came out from behind a door after he saw Specter pass then put his fingers on his forehead. "Hiding your boyfriend for the backup plan. I already cast the invisibility spell on that cloak you gave him and we're on our way."

As Mammoth started moving Snively spoke up. "I just hope we can do this before Doctor Robotnick can get past those elementals and blow us to kingdom come. By the way what was with that detour you made to the nursery? I saw you cast some sort of spell on those rugrats telling the mothers it was a part of a checkup, but spell didn't do anything."

"The spell hasn't done anything yet, consider it the backup to the backup, do your job well and you won't have to worry about the infants." Mammoth then smirked to himself. "Even if Specter does manage to carry out whatever he plans I'll be prepared."

Amy and Hershey were both taking a much-needed nap since all three babies were deep into dream land themselves.

"It may take a couple hundred years but if Specter plans to make generations of 'heroes' be sworn to him I'll just raise some of my own and deprive him of future pawns in a single stroke."

No one was awake to see a small glow come off the children for a second before fading altogether.

"I never had to lower myself to abducting defenseless children before but this will ensure Specter's defeat as well as ensure loyal allies once Sonic is out of the way so that I will rule, for the good of Mobius."